The New York Mets are still looking for an infielder as talks stall with Pete Alonso.
As a result, the Mets have every option on the table. Currently, Brett Baty is projected to be the starting third baseman with Mark Vientos across the diamond at first base.
However, the Mets could trade for a Gold Glove player from the St. Louis Cardinals. No, not that Gold Glover -- a different one. With the team looking to shed payroll, Brendan Donovan is a name the Mets could look into acquiring.
Donovan hit .278 with 14 home runs and 73 RBI in 2024. Baseball Savant shows he was a strong bat for the Cardinals last season. Most of his action was in left field with Nolan Arenado at third base, but he still saw 52 2/3 innings at the hot corner. FanGraphs shows his defense at third to be right around league average.
Here is what a potential trade could look like:
- New York Mets acquire: UTL Brendan Donovan
- St. Louis Cardinals acquire: INF Ronny Mauricio (Mets No. 6 prospect), Dom Hamel (Mets No. 15 prospect), Alex Ramírez (Mets No. 24 prospect)
Donovan has three years of team control left, so the Mets won't be able to get him cheaply. However, his 2025 salary is going to be very affordable. He is going to arbitration with the Cardinals after he filed for $3.3 million, and the team filed at $2.85 million. Even if his third year of arbitration earned him $15 million, he's still a cheaper alternative to Alonso or Alex Bregman.
On the other hand, the Cardinals would receive Mauricio who hit .248 in his first MLB season. Hamel spent the 2024 season with Triple-A Syracuse and Ramírez was with Double-A Binghamton.
Donovan was drafted primarily as an infielder, and a move to the Mets would allow him to return there.
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